Jan 30, 2010
At first glance, Shuffle seems like your average harem anime. And as you watch a few episodes, you realize that... well... its just that. Shuffle doesn't go off the beaten path. If this is not your first harem anime, you won't see anything new. The story is quite linear, and the characters will seem familiar. But nonetheless, it's still a fun and enjoyable show.
Story: 6
The setting is original. In fact, its the most original aspect of the entire show. The idea of having humans, gods, and demons coexist in harmony is great in theory. However, the setting isn't exploited enough or in the right way.
...
So in the end, the original setting sticks out like a sore thumb in a show where everything else is run of the mill.
The overall story wasn't bad. The pacing was good, with several arcs and character development at the right time.
Animation: 8
No complaints here. Characters were drawn and animated beautifully, and the environments were detailed. But in the end, level of animation is just bells and whistles, especially in a character oriented harem anime.
Sound: 7
The soundtrack of Shuffle wasn't anything extraordinary. But it did its job, which was to set the mood for the scene.
Character: 6
In a romance story, the character is the main course. It is the difference between an unforgettable experience and a total waste of time. Unfortunately, this is where Shuffle falls through the floor. The characters all fall into old archetypes. In trying to keep the tone of the anime light, the dept of each character was sacrificed. As a result, I was unable to relate to the experiences each individual went through. This devastates the anime, as the drama will feel forced and out of place. Fanservice was also used way to often to compensate for the lack of personality of each character.
There was also an entourage of support characters whose roles I wasn't quite sure of. There would be times when a character would disappear for several episodes without adequate explanation, or would appear just for the sake of reminding the viewers of their existence
Overall: 6
Shuffle brings nothing new to the table. Almost every character seems like a clone of someone else. The story is linear and fails to grab the viewer's interest. The characters are shallow, and their interactions were forced at best. Shuffle isn't bad. What it is is average. But don't take my word for it, watch a few eps for yourself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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